What Is Training

The best time to learn about dog behavior is before you're in the thick of things and your dog is jumping all over your guests or redecorating the house with the contents of your trash can. There are several ways of "training" your dog. It's important to understand that when deciding what you need to do with your dog.

First, there is "behavior training." This is the kind of training in which a dog is taught to be a "good citizen." Typically this includes housetraining, good behavior around other people and dogs, reasonable leash manners and other small things that make a dog a much more pleasant companion. A well behaved dog attracts no special notice from the public (aside from amazing some with their good manners).

Then there is "obedience training," which is generally teaching the dog how to perform specific activities on cue. This can include traditional "obedience" exercises such as sit, stay, come, down and heeling. The emphasis here is on prompt and precise performance. While there can be many overall benefits to such training, the training is usually for the training's sake and not necessarily to improve the dog's behavior. Dogs that have been obedience trained will perform specific tasks when their owners ask them to do so. (And as a matter of fact, some obedience trained dogs may behave poorly otherwise.

"Activity training" refers to training for specific activities -- this includes hunting, herding, Search and Rescue, lure coursing -- any of a myriad number of activities designed to showcase the abilities of the dog and his handler, particularly in activities a the dog has been bred to do. These days, such activity also includes "sports" such as frisbee, flyball, agility and so on. Sports type of training is basically obedience training on steroids as the dog is still being asked to do un-dog like things.

Of course the lines tend to blur between all of these distinctions. A certain amount of obedience training will help with behaviors and a behaviorist will teach certain obedience commands to assist with getting a dog under control. For example a dog that is heeling will not pull on the leash. Still you want to keep this in mind when selecting a training class so that it best matches your needs. For many pet owners, the behavior oriented classes are the best way to learn how to understand and control your dog. For those of you who want to enjoy a sport or compete in an activity with your dog you will need to start with obedience and move along to more complex training.

The basis for each type of training is who is learning who's language. With behavior training, it's mostly the human learning dog, and with obedience training it's mostly the dog learning human words and what to do when he hears them. At either end of the scale, the human has the biggest job. All the dog has to do is listen and do what the human asks for. It's the human's job to figure out how to communicate her wishes to the dog.

There really is no right or wrong way to train your dog and you can mix and match to serve your purposes. Things to take into consideration when choosing the most effective method for you and your dog include: your personality, your dog's personality, your goals, your abilities as a trainer, and your experience as a trainer. For example, if you are not happy with a particular method of training, for whatever reason, then it is unlikely you and your dog will do well with this method. Your dog will pick up on your reluctance and either share your dismay or take advantage of the situation to do as he pleases.

You need to be aware of whether your dog needs behavior modification or obedience training. Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that digs because it is bored may become less bored with obedience training and stop digging. It is important, however, to understand that the dog stopped digging because it was no longer bored than because it now knows how to sit.

If your dog is the strong, take charge type, a method that does not deal with this trait will result in his walking away with the training sessions, getting very little done. Conversely, if your dog is very sensitive, there may be a variety of methods you can use so long as you are very careful about how you correct him. Or, a very timid dog may need a particular method that emphasizes learning something new very thoroughly so that they may be as confident as possible when doing it. You have to know your dog and what his strengths and weakenesses are.

Your own abilities as a trainer come into play, as well. Some people have a natural sense of timing and an almost instinctive understanding of what their dog is thinking and how to react to it. Most people do not have this ability but can learn it to some degree over time. Others just do not. Recognizing your particular strengths and weaknesses will let you use each more effectively. Another ability some people seem to just have, others can develop, etc. is the ability to "read" a dog; that is correctly guess what the dog is thinking or feeling during training. This ability is valuable as it allows you to make appropriate adjustments on the fly to increase the effectiveness of your training.

Obviously, therefore, a good trainer is one who helps YOU figure out how to train your dog. A good trainer helps you learn to observe your dog for important clues to his behaviors and actions. A good trainer watches you and your dog work together and helps you learn where you are letting your dog down. A trainer's job, in short, is to teach you to become a trainer of your own dog. It is not a trainer's job to teach your dog.

Typically, you only see your trainer for one hour a week. Training requires short, daily sessions. YOU are the one training your dog. A good trainer has several methods under her belt and helps you figure out which ones work best with your dog.

Don't worry, there are some constants in dog training: Persistence, Consistency, Kindness and Fairness.

Rally Obedience - Starts again on May 8th at 6pm

Rally-O is a sport in which the dog and handler complete a course that includes 10 to 20 stations where the dog and the human perform a behavior or activity. Each of these stations has a sign providing instructions regarding the behavior that is to be performed. Signs are numbered to indicate the course the handler and dog take during the performance.
Originally devised by Charles L. "Bud" Kramer, Rally Obedience is a form of dog obedience with a twist - a total focus on fun and excitement for the dog, handler and spectator.
There is a lot of variety with each rally course. And Rally is different than Obedience in that handlers may talk to their dogs, praise them, and give them needed verbal commands.
Handlers can even use hand signals, point and in Novice and Advanced, clap and snap their fingers at anytime and as often as the handler needs. And it's not only allowed, but encouraged - making it a really fun sport!

The world is an obstacle course - Urban Agility

Parkour = "Combining the core elements of running, jumping, and climbing with the discipline of the martial artist, the grace of the gymnast, and the virtuosity of the skateboarder, parkour—or freerunning—is more than simply an elegant noncompetitive sport. It's an art form, a philosophy promoting fitness, imagination, community spirit, and ethical, healthy living. " Canine Parkour is the same.

Starting Tuesday, May 3 · 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Here is a video of our early start at Canine Parkour

Urban Agility

Urban Agility (also know as Canine Parkour) is an outdoor sport using natures obstacles and park additions as a human and dog gym.

This class is agility with a twist. The agility is done over, under and through some of the most challenging and environmentally distracting objects we can muster up. This is a safe confidence builder for any dog.  This fun and exciting class is a practical alternative to conventional agility and a great way to prep your competitive agility dog.  You won’t believe what your dog is capable of until you try!  All breeds and all ages welcome!
Everyone and every dog deserves to be fit and healthy without risk of injury. You can achieve your agility and obedience training goals and increase the bond with your dog at the same time. Go beyond the hamster wheels of typical agility or obedience training. Train your dog to climb stairs, ladders, and ropes; go up and down slides, walls and tables; be fearless and confident in the face of any obstacle.

Urban Agility is a fun way to exercise your dog using everyday objects, structural components and park furniture for agility and sport. Mental stimulation is so important for every dog, so you will learn how to use items you come across every day to make walks more fun for both you and your dog. You don’t need access to expensive agility equipment for you and your dog to have fun!

Think of urban agility as a gym membership for you and your dog. Tons of fun and a great bunch of people. it is a non-competitive physical activity in which you and your dog are expected to overcome obstacles by adapting movements to the environment in the most efficient way possible.

Traffic, people, other dogs, loud noises, dog parks, these are every day occurrences in the life of urban canines and should be a source of confidence and positive stimulation. This class engages dogs and their owners in a positive manner and gives them the tools to tackle these challenges head on. Obedience training and urban agility exercises are combined to create a class that is as exciting as it is productive.

This is a lifestyle change for both you and your dog. Urban Agility will equip you with the tools you need to achieve your training goals with your dog.Whether you are working with your dog for your and his health, or training for a big challenge, Urban Agility will help motivate and inspire you to continue.
Are you up for the challenge?

How it works:

• 20 Urban Agility sessions for $150
• 10 Urban Agility sessions for $90
• 1 drop-in Urban Agility session for $10

Sign up here

Places we will be visiting over the months:
Ft Lowell Park Ramadas 2 and 7
Jesse Owens Park
St Phillips Plaza
Armory Park
El Presidio Park
Lincoln Park
Purple Heart Skate Park
Lake area at Reid Park
El Paseo de los Arboles Commemorative Park
Strip mall at River and Craycroft NE corner

Responsibility

The weekend that Seize the Leash just had really started me thinking about training, relationships and responsibility in regards to ourselves, others in our lives and our pets. The turning point was an evaluation we did for a stray dog that a woman started feeding and gaining the trust of and eventually let live in her backyard. No one else in the household wanted this dog invading their lives and one member of the household is terrified of dogs in general. Now no one except the woman can go out in the backyard because the dog trusts no one and is willing to bite to make sure that he remains in possession of both the yard and the woman.

I have seen this type of scenario all too often. I have seen too much responsibility taken and not enough. I have seen and felt, blame, shame, and regret for having accepted a committment to another living creature. Sometimes I've wondered if the scenarios that I'm faced with were created for the sole purpose of having something to do to stave off boredom or for needing some kind of purpose in life. Occassionally, I have even seen a relationship that was created for the purpose of "being right" and others "being wrong".

Dogs have taught me many things over the years - committment and responsibility being the biggest for me because I have a tendency to procrastinate and take the easy road and the short cuts with my life rather.

What I have learned from dogs and their owners and am still learning:

Be a dog. Live as much in the present as it's possible to do. Do not regret what you've done in the past or worry about what the future will be. You create your future by your actions of today.

Choose to be in the moment with your dog. Let go of what happened in the past and create a better future by living now. You are always at a point of choice in your life. When making your choices in your day to day life you are affecting more than just you and most importantly you are affecting your dog.

Maintain your intergrity. Don't compromise yourself because of what others think or say. You must be a person of your word. Personal integrity will carry over to each and every part of your life. You can't have it in one area and not have it in another. Part of this is that you have to know what you want and who you are. Don't let others definte you or how you live your life or interact with your dog.

Take full responsibility for your relationships. Responsibility is not blame, it's the willingness to be the one in control of any situation or relationship and understand that control does not mean actually making others move.

Building a solid relationship with your dog is a must. If you have a good solid relationship with your dog, she will want to be where you are, doing what you do, constantly checking in with you to see what's new and exciting. She will not seek out other people, or other dogs to interact with. Your dog will be all about you, and what you get to do together.

Commit. Keep your commitments, re-examine the commitments that you didn’t really want to make and recommit to what is acceptable. Make sure that what you are doing is what you really want to do. Be happy with your decisions.

Be aware of your emotions. Be aware of your thoughts when interacting with your dog. Frustration is one of the worst emotions to bring to training. If you are feeling frustrated, it's a short hop to hanging your dog by the neck via it's leash and collar or heading to the pet store and buying a shock collar. Your thoughts can uplift you, yet they can also create sadness, fear, anger, etc. Learning to be aware of your thoughts and how they create your reality is a necessary tool when training your dog.

Express how you feel. User a variety of communicative methods to show others and your dog your real thoughts and feelings. Give yourself full permission to feel what you are feeling and be willing to share that. Love your dog through the way you teach him

Move. Dance, leap, fly, swim, do something. Don't stagnate, be fluid and creative. Movement is change and without change there is nothing. You have to have change and movement to be creative and to formulate ideas. A stiff body is much harder to create solutions from. Dogs rarely stop moving unless they are resting.

Learn how to communicate. Any method of training should be taken from a dogs point of view, and use the natural forms of communication that most dogs learn as puppies. It really doesn't matter what you want your dog to learn. If YOU learn to communicate to her in a language that she understands and if you learn how to set things up so she can figure things out for herself, teaching becomes very simple.

Be a true leader. Leadership is about trust and respect; it's not about overpowering or dominating a dog physically. It's about letting him be a dog and doing dog things, but shaping the context in which he does them. People and dogs want to be led and they want a leader who will keep them on track. If you ask me it is a sort of survival instinct. People may grumble because you may force them out of their comfort zone but they will follow you. Your personal integrity will show up in every aspect of your life.

Know your stories. It can be beneficial to know the stories that you have in your subconscious mind. Realize that they are the past and commit to being fully within yourself in the present moment. You are you and you are not your stories.

As I write more and more and I realize that I write what I am inspired to write. I realize that some people may not understand what this has to do with owning a business or with training your personal dog. I will keep it this answer simple.

The more authentic and present we are with ourselves, the more responsibility we assume in our relationships with ourselves, with other people, or with our dogs. The more committment we create in these relationships the closer we become and the easier our relationships become. As a dog trainer it is important for my clients to understand that training our dogs is small part of a bigger picture. If we practice the above exercises training is easy. It is no longer stressful or controlling.

Step Away

Back in the late 60's early 70's when I was Scuba diving 2 or 3 times a week, I also taught others how to dive after I got my instructor's license in '70. We would start out in a pool with just a mask, snorkel and fins until they were comfortable and in some cases, had built up enough strength and endurance to handle an hours worth of... swimming. Then we upped the gradient and went out in a calm lake, then the harbor and then the wide open ocean. Every step of this process has an added piece. As a person gains confidence with each step, they must also know what to do when something unexpected happens or their comfort level (stress threshold) is passed. This means practicing getting out of your gear, cutting off your weight belt, buddy breathing and a few other safety measures.

In handling a fearful, fear aggressive or aggressive dog, our goal is usually to get our dogs to be able to move toward or interact with their triggers, but they need to be prepared to respond to situations in which they are too stressed or over their skill level. Teaching the dog and the human to move away from triggers can be like cutting off your weight belt. Moving away is something that most fearful dogs want to do anyway. It’s easy for them and the human to learn and when super stressed, can be performed with little thought.

Conversation with a trainer - case study

This is a discussion between me and another trainer who came with Deena and myself to a client's house yesterday to obseve my methods. Names have been changed where necessary to protect the client and the trainer's identities.

Rocco is a young male Weimeraner and Buddy is an older male Vizla. Buddy has been with Sally for a few years and Rocco is a recent addition to the pack. There are two other Weimeraners in this household - both female (Chole and Katie). The two males got along for about a month after Sally adopted Rocco, but then something changed and Rocco started attacking Buddy when Sally was not home or not in the house (taking out the trash for instance). None of the damage was severe, although I'm sure Buddy thinks so as does Sally, but the bites were on legs and back and very minor.
Yesterday we all went to do a session with the four dogs and at one point a fight broke out between Rocco and Buddy. Or rather, I should say, Rocco again attacked Buddy but this time in full view of all of us. It was about a toy that they both wanted. Buddy was pushing Rocco out of the way of getting the toy at every opportunity but wouldn't actually go after the toy himself. It was almost as if Buddy was taunting Rocco and teasing him about not being quick enough to get past him to the toy.
The fight was a lot of noise and furious air bites, and at one point Rocco grabbed the same leg he'd injured in the last fight which caused the old scabs to come off. Other than that, there wasn't even any slobber after a full minute of fight. I couldn't get to them to break it up because the owner was dancing around screaming and not letting anyone help because she kept jumping in the way. Eventually Rocco just stopped and that was it.
Follows is a written conversation between the trainer and I about that situation and other things that came up because of it.
Question: Thank you for letting me join you and Deena yesterday! :-)
I still think it's an Alpha rank situation occurring with male Weim and male Vizla. What is your opinion?
Answer: Dominance is a term that is overused and is an over generalized descriptive for why a dog is behaving aggressively.. It is important to understand all forms of aggression, but more importantly to understand why and how the aggression has developed in each specific situation in order to determine the possibility for safe and effective improvement and to design an appropriate behavior change plan.
Saying that a dog is trying to dominate another is too broad, it doesn't lend itself toward a real solution. Rocco is a very insecure, scared dog. He has been through the foster system and Sally has only had him a few months. At first he got along with Buddy, but Buddy is Sally's baby boy and it shows in her attitude when Rocco does anything she doesn't like. Buddy is allowed to get away with murder. Is Rocco trying to dominate Buddy? Yes, but dominance is only the intent to control, it's not a personality trait or a behavior that can be fixed. What can be fixed is Rocco's insecurity. He knows that Sally favors Buddy, so does Buddy and Buddy will tease Rocco because he doesn't have to worry about correction from Sally. This is something I learned from the behavior history that I had Sally fill out.
What happened yesterday was that Rocco's insecurity got the better of him. It was a high energy situation with only one reward. Rocco wanted it and was willing to make sure he got it. Buddy kept pushing in front of Rocco and eventually Rocco couldn't handle the rude, space stealing behavior from Buddy. Space is one of the biggest triggers in aggression. Dogs are pretty fanatical about maintaining their own space. The social system that keeps a pack balanced is a system that deals with space and resources. So long as each dog knows and respects the space requirements of the other dogs and each one is willing to defer over resources to the one who wants it most - no fights happen.
Question: I guess I should have explained more when I said Alpha rank situation. It is more than a dominance issue. If what Deena saw from Buddy before the fight happened was related to a alpha behavior that wolves tend to do in their pack then I think Rocco was rejecting Buddy's interaction in this way. He was not willing to be put in this position with Buddy. To me it's an older dog (Buddy) testing a new dog to be accepting of Buddy being Alpha but Rocco is rejecting this and when Sally favors Buddy more this only makes Rocco even more aggressive. This is what I saw yesterday. By having Buddy in her bedroom this also makes it much worse again. So, there is also jealousy at play here too! The more Sally favors Buddy the more Rocco will see that Buddy really is the alpha male in the house. The more Rocco gets jealous about this the more he will fight with Buddy.
Answer: I agree with your analysis of Buddy and Rocco, but it's the favoritism, not the alpha position that is the issue. Buddy is doing a mild form of resource guarding of Sally and pushes Rocco into reacting. But yesterday it was only about who wanted the "rabbit" more and Rocco has learned that he only gets things if he attacks. It's a learned response, not a personality trait, a pack drive, or who is alpha and who isn't.
Question: Yes, it could only be a jealousy issue with Rocco and Buddy. So, how do you handle this situation? I'm afraid I wasn't looking when the fight started. So, I didn't know it was because they were both going for the "rabbit". So, why hasn't he attacked either of the females if it's just jealousy? This is why I think it's also alpha rank related.
Answer: Just like aggression or any other abnormal behavior, jealousy is situation and trigger specific. That's why he doesn't go after the others. And if you actually watch that pack, which I've done, Buddy is not the alpha dog, Chole is. She's the one that steps in to try and break up any tension, she's the one that herds the dogs around the yard and she's the one that will bat at one of the others if they get too pushy. Buddy and Rocco are middle ranking dogs. Buddy is a tease because he has Sally's favor. Rocco is insecure and feels he needs Sally more then Buddy. So the tension is constantly there.
Resolving that issue is really just one of building Rocco's confidence so he doesn't feel like he has to compete with or be jealous of what Buddy has with Sally. Get Sally to stop playing favorites the way she's doing it (it can be done without creating the jealousy). Get Sally to actually assert herself when necessary and learn that even Weims can be calm, and get Buddy to stop being obnoxious with Rocco.
Question: Why do you prefer to be called a behaviorist and not a dog trainer?
Answer: I'm not a dog trainer. I know that there are trainer's out there who claim to be able to change or modify behavior, but they are for the most part, one trick ponies. For instance, one trainer I know has only one method of changing behavior - no matter what that behavior is - is to teach obedience, with a shock collar if necessary. Another trainer is similar and will use a shock collar also, but this trainers main tools are leash jerks, prong collars and tons of exercise.
I'd rather not get lumped in with people who do not study behavior, ethology, communication, etc but rely on only what they learned from a 6 week course with a long laundry list of skills they supposedly mastered in that time frame.
Question: You say so much to not talk to dogs, that I'm confused when to talk to dogs during training? When I am teaching a dog I tend to be very vocal "Good Girl, Good Girl, Good Girl" and if the dog does something incorrect I, "No, No, No!" and show them what I want. I vocalize to them to help them know what is good and bad. Rather than just acting on what they do. Most dogs understand Good and No. So, this I feel is just as good as using treats. I also like to praise lavishly unless the dog gets very excited.
Answer: When I say stop talking so much to your dog, I'm refering to people who EXPECT their dog to understand what they are saying. I talk to my dogs, but I don't expect them to understand. I expect them to only pay attention. The real communication is the type of communication they understand natively - body language, energy and touch.
No, dogs do not understand "no" and "good". They only understand after several repititions of what those sounds mean in each context until they can generalize it. I use "yes" and "all done". I use those mostly because they don't have any prior meaning to 99% of dogs. Owners tend to use "no" and rarely follow through so that the dog knows what it means. And, like the terms dominance and submission, no is too generalized. If your dog is chewing up the kids homework and you say no - the dog understands that no means stop chewing up the paper that is currently in his mouth. Then if he's chewing on a corner of the rug and you say no, he's going to get confused because he doesn't have paper in his mouth. So you have to show him that no means stop whatever it is that you are doing. Most owners don't do that much, if any, follow through. So I stay away from commonly used words.
Praise is good, sometimes it is better then treats, sometimes it isn't. It depends on if the dog cares what humans think. I've helped dogs that were not food motivated, couldn't care less about humans, with negative reinforcement and negative punishment and the Premack principle. The dog wants to meet that other dog? Fine, sit first then you can meet it. They do learn that and the reinforcer, the motivation, is meeting the other dog. Treats are fast because most dogs are vacuums and until I build a raport with a dog where he cares about my praise, treats work best.
For example yesterday with Rocco. Getting him to walk loose leash I did not use treats. When he walked loosely I let him move closer to Sally, when he lunged, we moved away. He learned fast. But keeping him calm around Buddy needed something that was more reinforcing then biting Buddy. That was a powerful motivator for him because Buddy was next to Sally and Rocco wasn't.
Question: Well, I think a good dog trainer is a behaviorist too. But, my experience with behaviorists alone aren't really familiar with hands on dog situations. Or, a vet/behaviorist mainly gives meds or natural products to solve an issue.
Answer: You are correct about most behaviorists as well, but I personally have less problems with them not thinking things through then I do with trainers. I also don't want to give any potential client the idea that I will teach their dog sit, stay, down, heel and come. My clients are generally the ones that already took their dog to a trainer and got nowhere.
I do use natural products to assist with issues. Managment is part of the package. If the dog is going ballistic, then I will use Calm Eze or Rescue Remedy to get the dog into a state where it can learn a different response to stimuli.
Would I get more business if I said I am a trainer? Probably, but I'd be answering too many phone calls from people who only want fluffy to learn how to sit pretty. Been there, done that, never again..
Question: Do you teach how a dog should greet a another dog on leash? Or, do you just not do this at all?

Answer: Leash greetings. Yes, I will teach a dog how to greet another on leash - but it's mostly the humans that have to learn this. In class I don't allow it because there is too big a chance that a dog with known reactivity issues is going to react. Humans are strange and think the weirdest things sometimes and don't pay attention anymore then their dogs do. I have had incidents in class. Every one of them was either the humans not paying attention or a stupid human who didn't stop to think that the dog they want their precious baby to meet has a history of disembowling other dogs.
Question: Ok, you are right that untrained dogs probably don't know "Good" or "No". But, I'm talking about the dogs that have already had some training. Many dogs that I have helped already had "No" and "Good" used. Whether it was used correctly with proper showing the dog what to do, can only be found out once you work with the dog or ask the dog owner(s).
I have spent a lot of time watching programs about wolves and their behavior. I have also spent a lot of time learning about dog behavior through books and the experiences I have seen or heard about from other sources.
Answer: I too watch wolf shows, read a ton of books, watch many many videos, do seminars and teleseminars at least once a week. And I have a college education in animal behavior and ethology, I just never got a degree.
In some degrees this discussion is just an exercise in semantics. The proof of the pudding is - what will cure the problem. Does calling it a fight over who is going to be top dog lend itself to a solution? Does calling it jealousy, insecurity, fear and favoritism lend itself to a solution? That really is the test. Labeling things only helps to a certain degree, then you have to just fix the problem.

Do all bites mean a dog is aggressive?

An email I got today reminded me of when Deena's terrier mix Jake bit me. We were at the dog park and a boxer who I had known from a few months earlier came in. He immediately decided that Jake should be dispatched or lunch or something. The only one that got hurt in this was me. I grabbed Jake to get him out of th...e dog park and he whipped his head around and bit me. I'm sure he thought it was the boxer and reacted still trying to just get away.

The email this morning was a very sick dog with, what appeared to be, multiple injuries to at least two legs. He redirected on his savior during the process of trying to get him into the truck. Please don't consider this aggression or dominance or anything but what it is. A scared, injured dog who has no clue that he is being helped even while he's being hurt because the human put hands in the wrong place.

There are many reasons why a dog aggresses or bites. Very few of them have to do with dominance, most are from fear, and some like this poor guy, from pain.

Rescue Ink’s 10 Rules to use with your new dog… .

By: Keri Whitfield


1.YOUR NEW DOG KNOWS NOTHING!

Although your new dog may have basic skills, manners and obedience - it is better to assume that they have NONE and take on the responsibility of teaching them everything yourself. If your new dog does have some positive life experiences under their collar - then GREAT - your efforts will be easier and you will be pleasantly surprised. Assuming and expecting your new dog to understand the rules and boundaries that you live by can only disappoint you each time that they fail. After all - it is not fair to assume that someone has put all of the time and effort required for the proper upbringing of this dog - and especially if they have ended up in rescue or at a shelter.

2.Your new dog has no pack leader!

A pack leader is the most important person in a dog’s life. Dogs live as our domesticated animals - in a dependent role. They are nothing without us and as dog owners - we bring them into a new world where we want them to be able to enjoy everything that we offer them. If we do not provide them with all of the information necessary to place ourselves in a leadership role - they will have no idea where to look for guidance. Life is full of change and if a dog has a pack leader - they can look to them to handle anything new in their lives. Even if you can show a dog where to find food, water and affection - this is not giving them a pack leader. Only when you can have them looking to you for guidance on making decisions can you affect their behavior on a moment to moment basis. Then you can be sure that they will be able to learn how to achieve this role as balanced life partner and pet.

3.Your new dog needs rules!

The most comforting feeling for a dog is to know what to do. Anxious, nervous, fearful or aggressive dogs do not act this way because they want to. They have these reactions because no one has ever shown them what to do. For example, before you bring your new dog home, take them for a walk. Surely you are anxious and excited to get them home and begin the affection - but remember - they may also be anxious and nervous about this major life change and your excitement will only compound their issues. You want to be calm for their main entrance into your new sanctuary and more importantly - you want them to be comfortable too. Taking them for a walk and expelling their energy - especially all of the pent up and toxic energy that a dog can accumulate from time caged in a shelter - is the best start you could ever offer. Also - you will get to show them how you are capable of not only taking them out of their cage - but you also understand what they need. If you can spend time with them on a walk and relieve their need for a release of their physical energy first - you are beginning the process of convincing them that you are ready to bring them fully into your life. Bringing them home to your yard and playing with them is not the same experience. Excited and directionless activity without the experience of moving forward and following will not be an effective release of productive energy. You have taken them from one enclosure to another and never offered them a leader to follow. A walk communicates your ability to guide them and provide for them from the beginning.

4.Your new dog does not respect your home!

Your new dog may have never been allowed to roam free in a house. If you allow your dog to run into your home ahead of you and have the freedom of the whole house - you are turning your whole home over to them. Unless you want to live in a dog den and/or your dog plans to pay your mortgage and clean your house - this is not an ideal scenario. After all - this is an animal first and even though they may take on the name and personality of someone very human and near to your heart - they still do not automatically know how we humans like to live. We appreciate dogs that do not go to the bathroom in the house, chew on our furniture, eat our laundry and feed themselves from our table. However, if from the first moment, we let our new dog loose in our home, we have given them the right to go about doing all of this without restraint. By making your dog wait before entering, making them follow your entrance into the house and by using a simple on leash tactic for the first few hours or days, depending on your new dog’s behavior, could save months and years of misbehavior and training down the road. If we can show them from the first moment that this place is ours and it is a place for them to watch us, follow us and learn to respect the environment - their mindset will be in the perfect place to learn basic house rules very quickly.

5.Your new dog does not respect your visitors!

When you bring a new dog into your home and allow them to own the environment from the beginning, you cannot expect to be able to bring in other people without a reaction from your dog. Even if your new dog is very social with people, they will not control their excitement and their invasive behavior if they believe that this new home is theirs to own. Even if the person visiting doesn’t mind paws on their chest or a mouth on their face - think about the introduction of an elderly person, a small child, or someone who is afraid of dogs. It will not be fair to your dog when you decide one day in the future that they are not allowed to greet everyone with unrestrained activity. It will be too late if you simply decide sometime later when someone comes in that does not approve that it is then the time for obedience. But, if you set this boundary from the beginning you have given them the knowledge that they will be able to use each and every time someone new comes into your home. Likewise - if you have already followed rules #1-4 then this task of asking for a polite greeting will be little more than an expression, a hand signal or a brief use of the leash. We make it harder for ourselves and for the dog when we do not set the rules from the beginning.

6.Your new dog may not like your visitors!

It is possible that your new dog has fear or dominance issues that can lead them into an initial protection mode with new people. If this is the case - don’t panic! If you have followed rules #1-4 then you have already claimed your home and now you must simply control your guests and your dog through initial introductions to ensure that you continue to provide the correct information to your dog. Your fear or anxiety will not benefit your dog and will in fact, make matters worse. If you do have these emotions - you should consider the possibility of help from a professional. This is especially true with large and powerful breed dogs. Instruct your guests not to look at the dog, talk to the dog or approach the dog. Likewise, you need to handle your dog’s behavior on leash in a calm fashion. Let your dog know that their reaction is undesirable. Redirect your dog’s behavior with a distraction - noise or physical movement or command - anything to get their focus off of the new people. Sit with your dog at a distance and remain calm - focusing on your guests - telling them how everything is under control and they need not fear this behavior. This is a new dog with new challenges and this is what you signed up for. The more comfortable you can make the visitors - the better for everyone. Allow your dog to calm down by putting them in a sit or a lay and having them ignore the new people. Continue the conversation. If you are able to release the leash and allow the dog to approach the visitors or the gate - remain calm and do not anticipate a reaction. Your fear or anxiety will not benefit your dog and will in fact, make matters worse. Keep everything at the same level of energy that it was at before. Instruct your guests not to look at, talk to, approach or touch the dog. The goal here is to have the dog investigate (smell) and ignore the new people. If you find that your dog responds well to this and very soon after quiets down and does not even look at the guests, you can eventually release them. Again - if the behavior is extremely aggressive and/or this is a very large or powerful dog, do this exercise with the safety of a gate between two rooms - so that the dog can still smell, see and hear the guests but cannot physically get to them. Ideally, the new dog will sniff them and retreat or even sit or lay down near the new people. Every session’s goal should be to ignore, until the dog is non reactive when the people enter the room. Only when they are entirely comfortable with new people entering the house can you think about allowing guests to make contact. When this stage has arrived, using food to engage the new dog’s nose first is always an excellent choice for earning further trust. This form of affection is much more appealing to a nervous dog than physical touch. Touch is for our own enjoyment and the new dog should not have this forced on them for our own emotional benefit.

7.Your new dog may not like your other dog!

If you are unsure of the social skills of your new dog with other dogs - you cannot assume that introductions will go well. Never simply put two dogs into the house together and wait to see what happens. Likewise, never introduce two new dogs through a crate in the house or a fence in the yard without first introducing them on neutral territory and on a walk. On leash introductions can be tricky, considering the visceral connection that the dog has with their human’s emotion when on a leash. If you are at all nervous, fearful or hesitant about dog to dog introductions, you will transmit this insecurity to your dog through the leash and they may have a negative reaction solely based on your own issues. However, with a good walk, you can gain relaxation and also show your dog that they and other dogs are fully under control of capable pack leaders. Being able to smell, see, hear and feel another dog without forcing contact is the perfect first success for a new dog. If an immediate aggressive reaction is noted - you need to desensitize this by moving forward and continuing the walk until you see the reaction subside. If it does not - then you know that you have a bigger issue to deal with. This is why it is always advisable to know beforehand how a dog is with other dogs. All rescues and many humane societies should require dog to dog introductions to occur prior to the adoption commitment for this reason. All rescues and shelters should assess this level of skill and/or reaction prior to placing a dog. However, if this is not the case, don’t be surprised if issues are evident upon initial introductions. If there are issues - there is a lengthy period of rehabilitation and gradual re-introduction that will have to take place - making sure that both dogs look to your guidance first. It is easier to introduce two obedient dogs to each other then to expect two unbalanced and disobedient dogs to follow the rules of pack socialization. Again – the assistance of a professional is advisable with notable social issues between dogs.

8.Your new dog does not need your emotion!

Of course it can be a very emotional experience to rescue a dog. People who save disadvantaged dogs get a definite feeling of satisfaction knowing that they did a good thing in life. However, your newly adopted dog does not need this emotion to go forward in their life. Quite to the contrary, when you share these emotions of excitement or pity with a new dog, you immediately place yourself in a weak position in their eyes. Emotion is weakness to any animal. That flutter in our heart and stomach is understood in the animal kingdom as a lack of strength. There is no need in a primal animal’s nature for emotion. They do not feel sorrow over the prey that they kill to survive. They do not feel anger at the competition that they have in their territory. These emotions do not exist because there is no use for them in their quest for survival. So, when we as humans have these emotions they can immediately tell that our guard is down and so - we are not the source of strength that they should follow. If we can withhold these emotions when we first introduce ourselves to a new dog - we will be showing them that we are a source of strength and they will automatically follow us. Imagine how much easier it will be for us to show our new dog what we want from them if they are - from the get go - convinced that we are their leader. It could be the difference maker for every decision that they make from then on in our lives. Likewise, if we do not restrain ourselves from showering our new dog with joy or sadness - we may have to spend a lifetime trying to make it up to them and convincing them to do what we desire to make them a safe and balanced pet.

9.Take it SLOW!

Our pace of life and expectations may not be natural to our new dog. If you make an effort to follow these rules of introduction, it should take your whole first day of owning a new dog just to get them settled into your home. Many people want to rush their new dog home, get them in the house, shower them with new possessions and affection and then bring over everyone they know to meet them. Although this may be okay for a newborn baby – it is completely the opposite for a new dog. After all, you have the rest of the life of the pet for everything that you plan to show them. However, you only have their first day ONCE and it makes all the difference in the world for how they will behave every day to follow. Do not immediately parade your new dog to new people’s houses or recreational parks and dog parks. This kind of overloaded stimulation can be way too much for a new dog. If you first ask your dog to respect you and your personal environment - this is challenge enough. Only when you are consistently achieving the behavior that you want in your own home can you expect your dog’s behavior to be the same with all new stimulation. Likewise, for your own comfort and confidence building too - by sticking first with your own environment and succeeding - they will be more apt to follow your sense of accomplishment - anywhere you go and never question your control.

10.You only Get to Begin Once!

Dogs do live in the moment, but if we fail to show them certain things in their beginning with us, we will not only have to make up for this initial neglect but we are giving them an opportunity to practice the wrong behaviors first, so we will be working backwards to undo negative behaviors later on. If we withhold privileges and unbridled affection and correct negative behaviors from the get go - we may never have to witness disobedience from our dog ever. Remember - your confidence is built from their positive decisions. If you do not share crucial information from the beginning and you give your dog the chance to make mistakes - your confidence will plummet. If you then have a lack of confidence and a negative image in your head - you will not be a source of strength for your dog. From this weaker position you will then be forced to deal with difficult behavioral issues and the scenario could ultimately be devastating. If we always consider what the dog, as an animal, NEEDS and make these simple choices from day one - we can create a present full of achievement and foresee a future full of blissfully balanced relations between us and our new dog. It is our choice to make this relationship what we want from the very first moment that we bring a new dog into our lives.
What will you do?

http://www.rescueink.com/

Rhetoric in Dog Training and Dog Training Literature

This is a post I copied from Craig's List. I copied it because it's likely to get flagged any minute. There is no one's name attached to it to give credit to, but it's a very real and concise treatise on the arguments that happen between trainers about methodology. Because of these disagreements, the public is led to believe that science plays a huge part in dog training when in actuality, it doesn't. It's all theory and statistical interpretation of controlled studies touted as scientific proof without ever advertising the very real side effects of any method of training - even positive only training. I do not agree with this person's take on shock collars, prong collars, and other tools that supposedly change behavior for the exact same reasons the person says positive only doesn't always work. Neither of them actually handles the root cause of the behavior the method is supposed to be handling. But what this person says is spot on about the fact that all this stuff is theory, not proof, of one method over another. In my opinion, a good trainer studies the dog in question, figures out where the dog deviates from "normal", what causes that deviation, how much the dog's environment plays a part in triggering that behavior and then fixes what needs to be fixed. The tools are only tools and if you rely on only one or two, you are only going to be able to fix some behaviors on some dogs some of time.


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Before I was a dog trainer, I had a short-lived and largely unfulfilling career as a technical writer. Before that I was a college English major (much more fulfilling!). My areas of study were technical communication, rhetoric, and creative writing, and it’s amazing to me how helpful all of these specialties have been in sorting through the available body of dog training literature.

Before I proceed, let me assure you I’m not here to force anyone to handle their dog in a way they’re uncomfortable with and I one hundred and ten percent respect a person’s individual decision to train their dog in the manner they choose. In fact, I completely support a person’s right to have a decision in the matter in the first place, a decision many trainers don’t believe you can be entrusted with if you’re given facts that aren’t twisted with bias. My hope is that people make their dog training decision based on correct information as opposed to rhetoric or propaganda. I take issue with misinformation, specifically opinion that is presented as statement of fact. Here is an example of such a statement taken from Victoria Stilwell’s website:

“Modern behavioral science has proven that forceful handling such as physical punishment, leash yanking, or making a dog submit by rolling it on its back is psychologically damaging for the dog and has potentially dangerous consequences for owners. Instead, the most successful modern training theories suggest that reinforcing good behavior with rewards while using constructive discipline is much more successful. Positive reinforcement (i.e., giving the dog a reward in the form of praise, play, food, toys, etc. when it responds and offers an action or a behavior that you like) has been shown to be the most effective way to train a dog because rewarding good behavior will increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.”
The reader is being led to believe that the statements made in the paragraph are factual because of phrases like: Modern behavioral science has proven; and Positive reinforcement has been shown to be the most effective way to train a dog. Fear-inducing statements are included as well, again suggesting that statements such as: psychologically damaging for the dog and has potentially dangerous consequences have actually been derived from controlled scientific studies in which substantial quantitative data was collected that demonstrates that dogs indeed suffered psychological damage or became aggressive. Other words are carefully selected to evoke a specific emotional response from the reader. For example, the writer uses the words “leash yanking” instead of the more conventional, yet less emotive terminology, “leash correction.”

Nowhere on the website where this excerpt appears do I see a citation to the scientific study that proves that these statements are facts, as they seem to purport by using words like “science has proven.” To my knowledge, systematically comparing and measuring the affects of different training approaches on dogs in a controlled study has not been done.

The claims made in this excerpt, and similar claims made in magazines, books, and on TV, are based on anecdotal evidence, one’s own personal experience or observations. If a trainer only uses one training approach and they get even a mild behavior improvement, they can basically make the claim that their training is effective, including me! The difference between Victoria Stilwell and me is that I’ve never claimed that the way I train dogs is the one and only acceptable method. I acknowledge that there is more than one effective and fair way to train a dog. And as a trainer I’ve had several clients who have completed all-positive training programs with other trainers and been unhappy with the results, even if they saw a mild behavior improvement. My personal anecdotal evidence shows me that using a leash to correct a dog can be effective and humane, as can using an e-collar (shock collar).

Ideology versus Reality

The difference in training approaches really comes down to two opposing concepts: ideology versus reality. “All-positive” training is really one group of people’s “ideal” vision for dog training, or an ideology presented as scientific fact, using a combination of anecdotal evidence and rhetoric to try to convince people to accept it. Touting the approach as “humane,” “safe,” and “dog-friendly” implies that other approaches are “inhumane,” “dangerous,” or “mean.” It doesn’t seem like such a big deal. After all, we’re a highly political, free speech, free market society. We’re constantly expected to sort through propaganda and rhetoric from advertisers, politicians, and religious institutions. So why not just let the all-positive propaganda run wild? Why this raining on the all-positive propaganda parade? Consider these potential consequences:

The well-intentioned owner that truly believes the only appropriate training approach is an all-positive one that doesn’t use a leash correction, who’s made their best effort at all-positive training without success. Now this owner faces the decision to euthanize or give up her dog because the behavior problems weren’t able to be fixed by the one training option that she’s been told is “safe” and “humane.” In reality, an e-collar or a well-timed physical correction could very well have provided a solution to her problem.

» Extrapolate the above example to an entire animal shelter that has adopted an all-positive training curriculum. If all-positive training is not successful at rehabilitating dogs in the population, those dogs are euthanized because the shelter can’t in good conscience place them in homes. In addition, these dogs (most of whom have behavior problems through no fault of their own) are competing with other dogs with less severe problems or whose problems may be effectively addressed with all-positive training—the shelter’s single training approach. If they refuse to try all training avenues available to rehabilitate these dogs, they face certain death.

» In Wales (UK) e-collars have been banned from use. They are now illegal. This is a scary example where the all-positive rhetoric, the supposedly innocent ideology presented as fact, was successful in persuading a governing body to take away the freedom of choice and an effective training option for dog owners. Imagine the frustration for those dog owners that the e-collar fixed their behavior problem and allowed them to keep their dog.

The counterpoint to this training approach, which places primary emphasis on ideology, is training approaches that consider humanity and safety, but are also based in the realities of dogs and peoples’ day to day interactions with their dogs. All-positive dog training was adapted from orca training—in which captive dolphins and killer whales are trained using positive reinforcement, earning food rewards when the right behavior is performed and losing out on the food when the behavior is not performed. The savvy observer distinguishes some subtle differences between orcas and dogs. For example, dogs are land mammals that are significantly smaller than killer whales. Dogs live with us in our homes and interact with the public-at-large, riding with us in our cars and accompanying us to the park, whereas dolphins are safely tucked away behind fiberglass. So how does a training approach primarily based on ideology and behavior theory developed for orcas, handle the real-world training needs of owning a canine? Quite frankly, there are many problems it doesn’t effectively address. Leash pulling is one of them.

We don’t walk our killer whales—in fact, they’re not allowed out of the aquarium. Not ironically, there isn’t a good all-positive and non-aversive exercise available to teach a dog to not pull (something most dogs are really good at and some dogs are bred for). All-positives typically rely on management tools like head halters and no-pull harnesses in addition to treats to manage the dog’s behavior. The reality is if the dog is attached to you via leash, there will be pulling at some point, regardless of whether the tension is on a collar, a harness, or a head halter. You have to show the dog where they’re supposed to walk and the most effective and efficient way to do that is to provide tension to show them where to position themselves. I’ve seen many all-positive trained dogs that actually resemble Sea World dolphins. They can spin, jump, flip, roll over, and beg while there’s a treat in sight or the promise of a food reward. They enthusiastically perform a whole program of tricks. But when it comes to necessary real-world behaviors like politely walking down the street or doing a command in the presence of the mildest distraction or when they don’t feel like it, the training falls apart, exemplifying how the ideological training approach ultimately breaks down in the reality of the world we live in with our dogs.

Compared to dolphins, dogs exist in a very different world, have a more intimate relationship with humans (physically and emotionally), and have different qualities that impact the way they learn. That’s the truth; that’s the reality. All-positive dog training derived from orcas and behavior and learning theory derived from studying rats in cages doesn’t acknowledge these important differences.

Like I said initially, it’s not my intention to try to convince you to train your dog using one particular, superior method. You may be better-suited to do all-positive training with your dog because of your personality, while your dog may be better-suited to an e-collar training program—in this case your results may be mixed, whereas if you and your dog are well-suited to the same training approach, you have a better chance to get maximum results. The real key is using factual information to determine an approach that is both comfortable for you and effective for the dog. I encourage you to question and think critically about the dog training information you come across. Once you’ve separated the fact from the opinion, make your own decision for what works for you and your dog in your life.